What This Pandemic Has Taught Me?

 

ctto: google photo

We've been living in the countryside for 6 months now. Yes, regular na sa probinsiya. Finally, a breath from the city life.

Paano?

Thursday night of March 12, 2020, President Duterte announced that Metro Manila will be under quarantine starting March 15 for two weeks. I didn't get the chance to watch the announcement because I was too exhausted that day, I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed at 8 in the evening. The following day, I woke up from a call from my mother, informing me of the  latest news.

I woke up my husband and told him about it. We decided right there and then that we need them to go home in our hometown province. Sa totoo lang konti lang iniuwi namin dahil ang sabi naman sa news, 2 weeks lang ang quarantine. We've weighed things lalo na at kailangan ko pa ring bumalik para makapag trabaho. Friday and Saturday are my restdays, kaya eksakto after ng breakfast at makapag balot, bumiyahe na kami. Took a grab from Muntinlupa to Pasay and then bus na pa norte. Sa bus pa lang, we are very careful na. Binilinan ko ng mabuti ang anak ko why we were doing it and why I will need to go back. 

All the while sa biyahe, iniisip ko kung tama ba ang desisyon namin na umuwi. Naisip ko na kailangan ng anak ko ito. She can't be confined in a small space lang. And city is still too crowded and yung supplies manggaling sa mga provinces pa. Although nakapag grocery na kami ng 2 weeks supplies, yung fresh goods ang iisipin pa namin.

Saturday, I went back to Muntinlupa City. Crying while in the bus. Already missing ang mag ama ko. Pero, of course, kailangan pa rin pumasok sa trabaho. 

Sunday, regular shift from 6 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon. Parang nag eescalate na yung issue and sa totoo lang kahit sobrang pagod ko, hindi ako makatulog.

Monday, regular shift pero there were news that we might no longer be coming to the office the following day. I wanted to go home right after the shift, as in probinsiya na pero I just can't kasi naghihintay pa ako ng advise ng office. Although, one of my co worker was able to bring home company asset as a dry run for work from home set up, I was hoping na mapagbigyan din ako. I commute to work so mas prone ako. Gabi na when I heard back from my superior na pwede na rin ako kumuha ng company asset to start working from home. 

Pagkakuha ko, senet up ko na rin agad. But the following days, ramdam ko na hindi ako productive. Everything is by typing or call. Hindi ako sanay. I'm used to communicating and coaching ng face to face. Hirap ako sa pag type lang to convey what I mean. Dagdag pa na as the days go by, namimiss ko na ng sobra ang mag ama ko. 

I thought, I could last for another week. Pero hindi pala. Yung news kasi it is getting worse na rin. Buti na lang, I have friends who has contacted a van who can take us to the province. Unfortunately, Pangasinan was very strict that time. They do not let anyone non resident of Pangasinan. Yung agam agam ko na hindi ako makapasok ng boarder grew intense while travelling home. 

True enough, Rosales boarder, di na pinapasok yung van. Bumaba ako at buti na lang merong barangay patrol na nagsakay sa akin hanggang Urdaneta Town Proper, dun na ako nasundo ng kapatid ko.Got quarantine for another 14 days before finally having the chance to hug my little girl.

Pakiramdam ko that time, para rin akong biglang namatay that I have left everything behind. Naiwan namin ang apartment as is. 

Ang bilis ng mga pangyayari.Yung busy life, naging laid back living in the country side. Nakapahinga kahit papano. 

Family is family. Hindi kami pwedeng magkakahiwalay. Kung nasaan ang isa dapat andun din ang isa. At dahil magkakasama kami lagi, we have seen the differences and begin to tolerate each other. We fought less na rin. We do the chores at home together. The good thing is we know the limit of each other. My not so little girl is enjoying the life sa province pero miss na rin makabalik ng city. For 6 months, nasa bahay lang din siya. Sa bakuran lang para makapaglaro at makapag bike.

Importante na merong  emergency fund. Kahit tuloy tuloy ang work ko, I know hindi lahat ganun ang naging situation. Emergency fund is a big help during this time. Dito mo ma appreciate na buti at nakapag tabi ka nung time na normal pa ang lahat.

Personally, ako hindi ako nabobore ng nasa bahay. Later on kasi ng quarantine life, na adapt ko na at mas prefer ko na nasa bahay lang. Tipid na sa pamasahe. Tipid pa sa damit. Saka hindi magastos overall kasi hindi nakakapagmall. Only yung essentials din lang ang binibili. Yung work from home, nakuha ko na rin ang rhythm ko when it comes to working and how to stay productive sa work.

I love staying at home ever since I was a child. Homebody ako at may I say, mahiyain naman talaga ako sa personal. ;). Maraming pwedeng gawin at pag aralan habang merong extra time. Yung mga skills na akala natin di natin kaya, kaya pala. Magluto. Magbike. Maglinis ng bahay. Magbasa ng mga libro. Ayusin ang finances. Mag invest.

Create another source of income. Yes, while in quarantine pwede pa ring mag generate ng panibagong pagkakakitaan like more selling of essentials goods and food. Pwede rin yung na bake mo na or yung passion mo to cook maging source of additional income.

It is a matter of perspective. But let me tell you this, this didn't come to me in the earlier part of the quarantine. I was one of those people who were not okay. I have this anxiety of what will happen next. I have fears of the day. I lost motivation. I literally stopped for a couple of months, before I pulled myself together. 

I prayed that I get over it because life goes on. My child is growing. The people around me are moving on. They are adapting. Why not me? That's when, things get better for me. I started working my crochet WIPs. I've reopened my Shopee shop after checking the available couriers in the area. I've reopened my Facebook page. I've started selling offline. I started reading again. I started learning again.

So yeah, I may not be as resilient as any body else at the start of quarantine, but I thank God for letting me see these things. Dati, pangarap ko lang ang mag work from home (see my post here Working on My Options), and be with my child, yet God made a way for this. Here I am working from home, doing my hobbies, learning, and most of all, I am with my family. Truly, God is faithful to our heart's desire. 

ctto: google photo